The 42 Best Healthy Berry Recipes

The 42 Best Healthy Berry Recipes

In the middle of summer, markets are positively bursting with fresh vegetables, greens, and (best of all) berries. Berries are pretty much nature’s candy. Plus, they’re loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which boost the immune system and promote eye health among many other benefits.

Eating a handful straight from the carton (after washing, of course) has its merits, but here are a few more ambitious ideas to spark kitchen creativity. Berries are at their best for just a few short weeks each summer; so don’t wait! Grab a few containers (or better yet, pick your own) and give these healthy recipes a go!

Breakfast

This mile-high stack of pancakes with dairy-free coconut cream and strawberries makes quite the show-stopping breakfast. Plus, the pancakes are made with buckwheat flour and non-dairy milk so the whole dish is completely gluten-free and vegan.

Somewhere between coffee cake, banana bread, and blueberry pound cake, this healthy loaf is a great way to start the morning. Whole-wheat flour, applesauce, bananas, pecans, and plenty of fresh blueberries make it super wholesome. Top with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt.

This Seinfeld-worthy recipe proves that the top really is the best part of the muffin. These honey-sweetened soft muffins are not too sweet and make a hearty breakfast when topped with a schmear of nut butter.

Muesli, a classic Swiss breakfast cereal, is like granola’s healthier cousin. It’s kind of crunchy, kind of chewy, nutty, and not too sweet. This version, loaded with hazelnuts, blueberries, and coconut, is perfect with skim milk or yogurt.

Cookies for breakfast sound like something straight out of a third-grader’s fantasy, but these morning treats are actually low in sugar and high in fiber. They’re gluten-free, vegan, and use plenty of whole grains and fresh fruit.

This crunchy salad highlights some of the season’s best flavors: bright mint, fresh pea tendrils, and juicy, sweet strawberries. Add a few crumbles of goat cheese and some sunflower seeds for protein and healthy fat.

This recipe provides more guidelines than hard and fast rules. Although the actual instructions recommend mixing quinoa with blueberries and mangoes, we think chickpeas, nuts, jicama, carrots, and strawberries would also taste amazing. Let the experimenting begin!

Think of this sandwich as summer’s answer to the timeless BLT. Instead of bacon, swap in some turkey; fresh strawberries stand in for tomatoes; sprouts replace the lettuce; and ripe chunks of avocado add a little something special.

This berry-loaded dish is another perfect lunch collected straight from the farmers' market. The salad features fresh cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries on a bed of fresh kale. Add avocado slices, toasted almonds, and a drizzle of strawberry vinaigrette to really boost the summery flavor.

Dinner

14. Blackberry-Fennel Pizza

Photo: Scaling Back Blog

We know—berries on a savory pizza sounds strange. But it works. Sliced fennel, hazelnuts, and plenty of tangy cheese keep this pie firmly in the “dinner” category. Make it even healthier by subbing in whole-wheat pizza dough.

This spicy-sweet recipe calls for raspberry jam, but we think a bunch of ripe mashed-up berries would work just as well (while also cutting back on the sugar). The light sauce perks up plain old chicken, making it ideal for a sunny weekday night.

Anyone who’s ever been to Swedish furniture store IKEA knows that meatballs and fruit jam are a surprisingly delicious combination. Get the experience at home with these healthy chicken meatballs with raspberry sauce.

Chia seeds have the ability to expand to many times their size when soaked in liquid. They become thick, goopy, and generally pudding-like in consistency. To top it off, this recipe has just three ingredients: strawberries, chia seeds, and your favorite sweetener.

A dash of pumpkin pie spice, bourbon, and orange zest are original additions to the classic strawberry-rhubarb combination. The quinoa crumble on top makes this dish gluten-free, too. We highly recommend serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (dairy-free or otherwise).

Snacks

Dip halved strawberries in yogurt, (Greek, regular, flavored, and plain all work fine) place on a cookie sheet, and freeze until solid. This easy snack is also delicious with raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries.

Ahh, fruit snacks. Nothing sums up second grade like sitting in the backseat of a station wagon and eating a packet of gummies on the way to a piano lesson. Take a trip down memory lane with these homemade—and healthier—strawberry gelatin snacks.

Remember fruit leathers? They’re basically the slightly-more-healthy, less neon-colored version of childhood classics like Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot. This homemade version is made with spinach, carrots, strawberries, orange, and honey.

It’s shockingly easy to make dried fruit at home, which is good to know at the height of summer, when produce is at its peak. Slice berries, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and bake at a low temperature for a few hours.

For a quick snack or cool breakfast on the go, look no further than this tangy, antioxidant-rich smoothie. Blend together blackberries, a banana, milk (dairy or non-dairy), vanilla, and a dash of your favorite sweetener.

Once again, the sweet-and-spicy combination proves why it’s such a winner. This yummy salsa combines strawberries, pineapple, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper, and plenty of lime juice. Pair it with tortilla chips or use it as a sauce for grilled meat or veggies.

Drinks

Whip up a batch of these fresh, colorful drinks for an outdoor party or barbecue. They look super fancy but contain just four ingredients: blueberry simple syrup, Grand Marnier, tequila, and lime juice.

Get fancy this season with a pitcher of homemade, berry-loaded sangria. This Spanish drink usually features wine, fruit, triple sec, and club soda. Play with the proportions until you find your favorite combination of fruit, mixers, and alcohol.

Any icy treat combining fresh fruit and booze gets an (adults-only!) A+ in our book. Mix together pureed strawberries, peach simple syrup, tonic water, and vodka, and then pour the mixture into ice pop molds. Let them freeze for a few hours, or until solid.

Fun ice cubes make any drink (alcoholic or not) a bit more fun. Grab a big pile of washed strawberries and divide in half. Chop one half into bite-sized pieces, and mash the other half. Combine the two piles. Plop a scoop of the strawberry mixture into each ice cube slot, cover with water, and freeze until solid. Add them to any drink for a berry-infused beverage.

This drink is not kidding around about the fruit. Each drink contains three ounces of raspberries and zest and juice from half a lime. Combine fruit and sugar into a simple syrup, and mix it with gin and sparkling water.